Apparatus for casting ingots in continuous long lenghts.



No. 648,091. Patented Apr. 24, I900.

. J. 0. E. TROTZ.

APPARATUS FOR CASTING INGOTS' IN CONTINUOUS LONG LENGTHS.

(Application filed Dec. 17, 189B.)

2 Sheetsr-Sheet I.

(No Model.)

SARI-$125525,

Tn\/E 1141:1125

No. 648,09l. Patented Apr. 24, I900.

J. 0. E. TBOTZ. APPARATUS FOR CASTING INEOTS IN CONTINUOUS LUNG LENGTHS.

(Application filed Dec. 17, 1898.)

2 Shoots-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

' 'NITED STATES PATENT Fries.

APPARATUS FOR CASTING moors IN Commuous LONG LENGT/HS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 648,091, dated April 24, 1900. Application filed December 17, 1898. Serial No. 699,525. (No model.)

T0 00% whom 2'15 may concern:

Be it known that I, J'oHAN Orro EMANUEL TROTZ, of the city and county of Worcester, in the State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Casting Ingots in Continuous Long Lengths; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the acoompa nying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and in which- Figure'l represents a side view of so, much of an apparatus for casting said ingots as is necessary to illustrate my improvements, the central part of the mold and casing or jacket thereof being shown broken away and several pairs of reducing-rolls also being shown in connection therewith, as will be hereinafter described. Fig. 2 represents part of the apparatus shown in Fig. 1, showing a modification in the means employed for drawing forward the ingot as it is continuously formed and delivered from the mold, the lower end of said mold and its casing or jacket being shown in section longitudinally. Fig. 3 is a transverse section on line a, Fig. 1, through the castlingot after it leaves the mold, looking down, and showing a plan of one of the grip devices hereinafter described for drawing forward said ingot, as aforesaid. Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section through part of the ingot and a transverse section through said grip device, taken on line b, Fig. 1. Fig. 5 shows an enlarged View of part of the mold and upper end of the device for supporting the forward end of the ingot untilit cools and hardens and for drawing said ingot from the mold, as aforesaid. Fig. 6 represents, upon a still larger scale, a central longitudinal section through the ingot-mold, its longitudinal casing or jacket, the end, water-chambers, and the top tunnel into which the molten metal is poured prior to entering the mold, the central part of. said mold and easing or jacket being broken away to admit of the-end parts being shown upon a large scale. All the following figures are shown upon the same enlarged scale as Fig. 6. Fig. '7 is a top end view of the parts shown in Fig. 1 with the top tunnel removed. Fig. 8 is a transverse section taken at the point indicated byline c in Fig. (3, looking down, as shown by the arrow; and Fig. 9 shows a modification in the construction of the upper part .of that portion of crackly;

the apparatus shown in Fig. 6, which will be hereinafter described.

The object of my invention is to provide an apparatus whereby ingots may be cast in continuous long lengths and drawn forward as fast as-delivered in a partially-hardened state from the mold and then rolled down to smaller sizes direct from the mold or cut into desired lengths before rolling, all by a conmold, a hollow head at each end of the mold of larger diameter than the outer casing or jacket and attached to said outer casing or jacket to form annular chambers outside of the ends of the casing or jacket and also to form an annular opening at each end of the mold for connecting said annular chambers in the hollow heads with the annular chamber between the mold and outer casing or jacket, and suitable inlet and discharge pipes connected with the aforesaid hollow heads for supplying cold water thereto and discharging the same into the chamber surrounding the mold, entirely around said mold, at an even temperature.

Said invention also consists of suitable mechanism,combined with the above casting part of the apparatus, whereby the metal may be drawn forward continuously in long lengths as fast as it is sufliciently cooled, as will be hereinafter more fully set forth.

It is a well-knownfact that ingots made in the common way are seldom, if ever, perfect. The surfaceis generally rough and frequently The inside or parts thereof are always to a certain extent unsound on account of the presence of what is'cominonly termed a ,pipe or blow-holes, or both, depending on the nature or composition of the metal and the temperature at which it is-poured. The formation of'the pipe is due to the contraction of the metal in connection with the top metal in the mold solidifying earlier than the inner part of the ingot below and may extend almost through the whole length of the ingot, according to the shape of the mold, and when found is always largest in 7 when the surface is cooling.

the upper end of the ingot. The cracks are causedby either the unevenness of the inside of the mold on account of' parts ofthe ingot sticking and adhering to the surface during a certain part of the contractiop period, or by the ingot adhering to the bottom of the mold and also to the sides or the top, where it occasionallysplashes or boils over or up from is well known, due'to the gases which molten which my invention appertains.

metal absorbs and in the .moment of or just before solidification discharges. The reason for their being found in larger numbers in the top of the ingot is undoubtedly due partly to the higher pressure to which the lower part is subjected when the metal solidifies and partly to the upper layers or the larger part thereof being in full fusion when said lower part solidifies, thus permitting the gases discharged by the latter to pass up and escape through the former. Both the pipe and blowholes necessitate what is termed cropping or cutting away a large percentage of the upper part of the ingot before or after being worked down or used, thus causing a large loss and expense, as do also the presence of surface cracks, all of which disadvantages are well known to those skilledin the art to To overcome or at least reduce said defects to a minimum is the purpose of my improved apparatus, which will now be described, with reference to the accompanying drawings.

In said drawings, A represents a thin metal tube which in practice is made as thin as is practicable for holding the molten metal until sufficiently cooled to sustain itself and be drawn therefrom. Said thin tube is preferably cylindrical in shape and serves as the mold of the apparatus. The inside thereof is planed and polished or otherwise mechanically worked to a perfectly straight, smooth, and even surface without any bunches, de pressions,or other unevenness whatever. The upper end of said tube or mold is preferably provided with a close-fitting head or tunnel B, made of metal lined with graphite or other refractory material or made wholly of said graphite or refractory material, as desired, and which may be of any desired shape-as,

- for instance, in the form of the flaring tunnel shown in Figs. 1 and 6 inFig'. 9.

Outside of the aforesaid cylindrical tube A is arranged a larger cylindrical casing or jacket 0, thereby forming an annular chamber D around said inner tube. The ends of said outer case or jacket 0 are provided with hollow cast heads E F, each in turn havinga or straight, as shown quickly aspossible.

the inner ends thereof.

A, as aforesaid. \Vater is preferably used a as the cooling medium and is also preferably introduced through the bottom pipe F into the bottom chamber F thence around the' lower end of the outer case or jacket 0, up

through the same, around themold A, and

out through the top chamber E" and pipe E, a constant even circulation of cold water being maintained while the apparatus is in use, which, if desired, may in practice he artificially cooled below the usual or normal temperature of the city supply in any suitable manner in order to expedite and more effectually cool the molten metal as it is poured and drawn from the mold, as hereinafter described.

It is very essential to have the inside tube or mold A as thin as possible in order to keep it well cooled off, and thus notallow it to be come heated to such an extent as to cause it to lose its shape, and also in order thatit may permit the molten metal to be cooled off as It is also essential that the water or other cooling medium shall be distributed evenly around the mold, so that it will cool the metal inside of the mold exactly alike all around, or it is liableto bend out of shape, and thus impair the parts and retard the forward movement of the ingot. Although only two points of supply and discharge of the cooling medium are shown in the drawings, I do not limit myself thereto, as several others at different points might be used, if

desired.

The upper head E is provided with a ventopening and pipe G, provided with a shut-01f cock G for the purpose also hereinafter described. The heads E F are fitted over the outer case or jacket 0 to bringv the ends of said case or jacket within a short distance d of the inside of the outer ends of said heads, and the supply and discharge pipes F E are connected with their respective heads near Therefore when the water is'discharged' from the supply-pipe into the chamber of the head it first impinges against the side surface of the end of said outer case or jacket 0 and flows around the cool it in a correspondingly even and uniform manner. This feature of employing the hollow heads E F and forming the annular openings or spaces (1 between the ends of the thin tube A and the inside of the outer ends of said hollow heads E F is very important for the reason thatrby first discharging the water into what may be termed the primary" chambers E F so that it may flow around the ends of the'outer casing before entering the annular chamber surrounding the mold, said lie polished surface, as aforesaid. This feature is important, as I have fully demonstrated in practice that by making the inside of the mold in connection with the method of cooling the objections hereinbefore mentioned are practically removed and ingots of any desired length produced of a uniformly-smooth surface and texture.

In first pouring the molten metal into the mold some means must of course be provided to stop it from flowing in its molten state down through and out of the bottom of the mold. This object may be attained in various ways, and I therefore do not limit myself to any special way or to the way of drawing the metal asit becomes hardened by cooling from the bottom of the mold.

InFig. 1 I have shown the ingot as being drawn from the bottom of the mold by means of two grip devices H H, connected with pistons I I, operated by the h draulic or steam cylinders J J. Said grip devices are so constructed that by the use of loose wedges K K and L L, connected with forked weighted levers M M and N N when the. pistons are operated to move the grip devices toward the mold A, the grip devices will slip along freely over the surface of the ingot 0; but, on the other hand, when the return movements are made said devices grip said ingot firmly and draw it forward out- 'of the mold with, of course, a slow and gradual movement conforming to the speed of the pouring and hard ening process of said ingot, or, in otherwords, it is drawn forward continuously with just suflicient speed to remove itfrom the mold as fast as hardened by cooling sufllcie'nt to retain the transverse shape imparted thereto by the mold. stated that the mold may be made cylindrical in shape, as shown, or of any other form that it is desired to impart to the ingots cast there- In practice the grip devices are deing forward gripped to and drawing the ingot, While the other is returning preparatory to the next grip and forward draft, the operation being similar to pulling upon a rope hand over hand. By this construction it is obvious that the ingot may be drawn forward continuously, as aforesaid, at such speed as may be admitted of by the casting and cooling operation.

p In casting an ingot the molten metal forming the same is held in suspension in the mold' until hardened suflici'ently to retain its shape by means of a piece of ingot bar or tubing In connection therewith it may be with a solid head extending up a short way into said mold and projecting out long enough for the gripping devices to act upon it, the

upper end thereof being preferably provided with a short spur or stud, as e in Fig. 2, for the metal to surround and obtain a grip upon,

so that when the said section of ingot or baris drawn upon the ingot may also be pulled forward with it. After the forward end of the ingot is once hardened by cooling, as aforesaid, said ingot itself, it is obvious, will form its own support for the infiowing molten metal, being cooled'by thetime it reaches the bottom of the mold and is slowly drawn forward therefrom.

If preferred, instead of using gripping devices, as above described, and shown in Fig. 1, for drawing the ingot forward a single long cylinder P, piston-rod P',-and head P, as is shown in Fig. 2, may be used in lieu thereof, said piston-rod thus forming a movable bottom for said mold, the piston and its head being preferably in this case made separable and adapted to be attached together by means of a suitable hook device Q, as is shown in too drawn or pulled forward until the end is connected with a reel or other means-for disposing of it after having been cast. right to cast the ingots in continuous long lengths and cut to the desired lengths to be worked at some future time or to connect the same with reducing-rolls for immediate reduction by a continuous operation, as aforesaid. In this case the rolls R are of course arranged to take up the ingots as fast as de livered and from them are passed onto other rolls S S in the form of what may now be called a bloom, when, owing to one roll S being larger than the other, S, it is bent a quarter-circle and delivered to. another pair of rolls '1" T, through which it passes. This pair of rolls may now deliver the bloom either the moment of or just prior to solidification to escape through the upper quick-flowing metalofahigher temperature. Whatiscommonly termed the pipe is also entirely done away with, except in. the very last part I reserve theof the ingot, as are'also the surface defects so commonly seen on ordinary ingots or blooms. Therefore the percentage of what is termed cropping is reduced to a minimum. results are due mainly to the fact of the mold being made perfectly smooth upon the inside, as previously stated, in connection with the continuous process of pouring and feeding forward the ingot as fast as it is cooled.

It will be clear from the foregoing descrip tion that the expense of casting ingots or bars in .this way ismuch less than by the common way, as less expense, aside-from the saving in croppings, is incurred for the molds, also less labor, and if the ingots arerolled direct from the mold the cost of fuel is also reduced.

I do not limit myself to the use of one mold when pouring a heat, as I may prefer to have two or more nozzles in the same ladle, from which the molten metal may be poured into as many molds. I have also in some instances it is slowly lowered during the time the metal is poured until the top of the first ingot reaches the bottom of the mold, when it is stopped and the ladle again moved over to the second mold, where the same process is repeated, and so on, the ladle being moved from one to the other until all the metal is poured into ingots.

, If preferred, the met-a1 maybe poured direct from the furnace into the molds instead of using a separate ladle, as above described. This way is of especial advantage in making ingots or bars of copper, aluminium, brass,

and similar metals.

If desired, the apparatus may be arranged upon an incline instead of vertically, as shown.

It will be understood that I make no claim, broadly, to castingingots in long continuous lengths, this having been done before, but by pouring and cooling portions of the molten metal while held stationary and then drawing forward the cooled sections intermittently instead of by pouring, cooling, and drawing the metal forward simultaneously and continuously, as herein described. The purpose of the construction hereinbefore described, and

shown in the drawings, is to attain this par-.

- ticnlar result and which resultI am not aware Th ese having means for conducting the molten metal thereto, said tube being sccuredat its upper end; in combination with the outer case or jacket, of larger diameter than the central tube, arranged over said tube toform an annular chamber surrounding the tube; the hollow heads arrangedat each end of said central tube and its jacket, and of larger diameter than said jacket to form annular chambers aroundthe ends thereof, the inside of the outer ends of said hollow heads being arranged to come a short-distance from the ends of the central tube to form an annular opening between the two, and suitable inlet and discharge pipes, connected with said hollow heads, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. Inan apparatus for casting ingots or bars in continuous long lengths from molten metal, the central mold, comprising a thin metal tube whose interior is worked and polished'to a straight and uniformly-smooth surface, and having means for conducting the molten metal thereto, said'tube being secured at its upper end, in combination with a movable support, fitted to slide vertically in said tube, for holding the first pouring of molten metal while cooling, and having means connected therewith for drawing said metal down as fast as it is properly cooled; the outer case or jacket, of larger diameter than the central tube, arranged over said tube to form an annular chamber surrounding the tube; the hollow heads, arranged at each end of said central tube and its jacket, and of larger diameter than said jacket to form annularchambers around the ends thereof, the inside of, the outer ends of said hollow heads being arranged to come a short distance from the ends of the central tube to form annular openings between the two, and suitable inlet and 'discharge pipes, connected with said hollow heads, substantially asand for the purpose set forth.

In an apparatus for casting ingots or bars in continuous longlengths from molten metal, the central mold, comprising a thin metal tube whose interior is worked and polished to a straight and uniformly-smooth surface and having means forconducting the molten metal thereto, said tube being secured at its upper end, in combination with a movable support por t and metal down to and between the first pair of rolls of a rolling-mill and said rolls for drawing theingot or bar forward continuously from the mold and reducing the same to the desired size and shape all by a continuous and automatic operation substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

JOH AN OT'JO EMANUEL TROTZ.

IVitnesses:

A. A. BARKER, W. B. NOURSE. 

